
Jewels of Northern India Tour 2014
February 19th - March 3rd, 2014
DELHI – AGRA – BHARATPUR - JAIPUR – JODHPUR – UDAIPUR – DELHI
February 17 - 20, 2014 |
February 20, 2014 |
February 21, 2014 |
February 22, 2014 |
February 23, 2014 |
February 24, 2014 |
February 25, 2014 |
February 26, 2014 |
February 27, 2014 |
February 28, 2014 |
March 1, 2014 |
March 2, 2014 |
March 3, 2014 |
Feb 23 Agra
The Taj Mahal is not only about the seeing the mausoleum in
white marble, but also its surroundings, especially the Taj
Garden - Charbagh. In Islamic style of architecture, the garden
is not just another feature but has a well-defined meaning and
it symbolizes the spirituality. According to the Holy Koran, a
garden is symbolic of paradise. The Taj Garden covers most parts
of the Taj. Out of a total area of 580 m by 300 m, the Taj
Garden alone covers 300 m by 300 m. The guiding principle in
creating this garden is one of the symmetry and it can be
experienced everywhere. The four regions of the garden within
the Charbagh are divided into 16 flowerbeds, making a total of
64. It is said that each flowerbed was planted with 400 plants.
Trees were planted carefully in accordance with the symmetry of
the overall plan. The trees, which were generally preferred,
were either cypress (Cuprussus) (signifying death) or different
fruit bearing trees (signifying life). These trees were home to
many birds, which migrated from distant places to enhance the
liveliness of the Taj Mahal.
For centuries, the Taj Mahal has inspired poets, painters and
musicians to try and capture its elusive magic in word, colour
and son. Since the 17th century, travelers have crossed
continents to come and see this ultimate memorial to love, and
few have been unmoved by its incomparable beauty.
The Taj Mahal stands in the city of Agra, in the northern Indian
state of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the Yamuna river. It was
built in the memory of the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum, who
won the heart of a Mughal prince. She was married at 21 to
Emperor Jahangir's third son Prince Khurram and stayed loyally
by his side through good times and bad: in the luxurious royal
palaces of Agra as well as the transient tents of war camps.
In AD 1628, Khurram became king after a bloody battle of
succession; he took the name Shahjahan or King of the World and
showered his beloved begum with the highest titles. She became
Mumtaz Mahal, the Exalted of the Palace and Mumtaz-ul-Zamani,
the Exalted of the Age. But Mumtaz Mahal was not destined to be
queen for long. In 1631, Shahjahan went on an expedition to the
South and, as always, Mumtaz Mahal accompanied him. But she died
in childbirth at Burhanpur. She had borne Shahjahan fourteen
children, of whom four sons and three daughters survived. When
Mumtaz Mahal died, she was just 39 years old. Shahjahan was
inconsolable and contemporary chronicles tell of the royal court
mourning for two years. There was no music, no feasting, and no
celebration of any kind.
Shahjahan, who was a passionate builder, now decided to erect a
memorial marble that the world would never forget. The site
selected for the tomb was a garden by the Yamuna river,
unshadowed by any other structure. The garden had been laid by
Raja Man Singh of Amber and now belonged to his grandson, Raja
Jai Singh. By a royal decree, Shahjahan gave Jai Singh four
havelis in exchange for the garden. The site was also chosen
because it was located on a bend in the river, and so could be
seen from Shahjahan's personal palace in Agra Fort, further
upstream.
Work on the mausoleum began in 1633 and 20,000 workers laboured
for 17 years to build it. The most skilled architects, inlay
craftsmen, calligraphers, stone-carvers and masons came from all
across India and lands as distant as Persia and Turkey. The
master mason was from Baghdad, an expert in building the double
dome from Persia, and an inlay specialist from Delhi. The tomb
was completed in AD 1650. But, Shahjahan was deposed by his son
Aurangzeb in 1658 and imprisoned in the Agra Fort. He spent his
last years in the Mussalman Burj looking downstream at the Taj
where his beloved Mumtaz Mahal lay. Sixteen years later he, too,
was laid to rest beside her.
Shahjahan's two biggest passions were architecture and jewellery
and both are reflected in the Taj Mahal. He visualized a
building in marble and then had it decorated with semi-precious
stones inlaid with the delicacy of handcrafted jewellery. Marble
in purest white was brought from Makrana in Rajasthan, yellow
marble and rockspar from the banks of the Narmada river, lack
marble from Charkoh and red sandstone from Sikri. For the
intricate pietra dura the finest gems were collected - crystal
and jade from China, lapis lazuli and sapphires from Sri Lanka,
jasper from Punja, carnelian from Baghdad and turquoise from
Tibet. Yemen sent agates, the corals came from Arabia, the
garnets from Bundelkhand, onyx and amethyst from Persia. Mumtaz
Mahal's final resting-place was ornamented like a queen's
jewel-box.
You enter the Taj complex through an arcaded forecourt where
some of Shahjahan's other queens lie buried. The forecourt also
has the Jilau Kana, a bazaar with cloisters leading to the main
entrance of the tomb. The imposing gateway is made of red
sandstone highlighted with marble and has octagonal kiosks on
top. The gateway is an imposing 30 metres high and a fitting
entrance to the Taj Mahal. The soaring arch is inscribed with a
beautiful design of inlaid flowers and calligraphy.
As you enter the dark octagonal chamber under the gateway, the
light streaming in from the opposite doorway draws you towards
it. Here, framed by the arch of the doorway, the Taj Mahal
reveals itself to the viewer with dramatic power. It stands at
the end of a long walkway, framed by landscaped gardens and an
ever-changing sky, its snowy marble glittering in the sunlight.
Taj Mahal stands at one side of a garden laid in the tradition
charbagh style, with its square lawns bisected by pathways,
water channels and rows of fountains. Halfway down the path
there is a square pool, its limpid waters reflecting the marble
tomb. Unlike other tombs, Taj Mahal stands at one end of the
garden instead the centre. This was done deliberately, to leave
its vista uncluttered by any other building.
The tomb stands on a marble plinth six-metres high. The four
minarets at each corner beautifully frame the tomb. The plinth
stands on a high sandstone platform and at the far ends of this
base are two identical sandstone structures, a mosque to the
west and its jawab, or echo, to the east. This was the mehman
khana or guesthouse. Thus, the main building is not just of
great size but beautifully proportioned and balanced in design.
The octagonal central hall has four smaller octagonal halls
round it and is decorated with magnificent inlay and dado panels
done in high relief. The bulbous, perfectly-balanced double dome
rises to a height of 45 metres and the four chhattris flanking
and balancing the high drum give it added height. Taj Mahal
rises 75 metres high and is, in fact, taller than the Qutb Minar.
An ornate marble screen, carved so fine that it almost has the
texture of lace surrounds the cenotaphs in the central hall. As
was the tradition during Mughal times, the actual graves lie in
an underground crypt directly below the cenotaphs.
What is most amazing about the Taj Mahal is the fine detailing.
The coloured inlay is never allowed to overwhelm the design, as
carvings done in relief sensitively balance it. The ornate
pietra dura and relief carvings are of floral, calligraphic and
geometric designs. However, flowers remain the main decorative
element as the tomb depicts a paradise garden. The skill of the
inlay worker is so fine that it is impossible to find the
joints, even when as many as 40 tiny pieces of semi-precious
stones have been used in the petals of a single flower. Some of
the best calligraphy of Koranic verses can be seen around the
entrance arches and on the two headstones.
Taj Mahal changes its moods with the seasons and the different
times of the day. At dawn, the marble has a delicate bloom in
shell pink, by noon it glitters majestically white, turning to a
soft pearly grey at dusk. It can be solid and earthbound,
fragile and ethereal, white, amber, grey and gold. The many
faces of Taj Mahal display the seductive power of architecture
at its best.
And Visit to Agra Fort
Few forts in the world have a more fascinating story to tell
than the Great Fort of Agra. Originally planned as an
impregnable military structure by Akbar, the Agra Fort, over a
period of time, acquired all the elegance, lavishness and
majesty of an imperial palace. Emperor Shah Jahan, who built the
Taj Mahal, was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb in Agra Fort,
from which he had a view of the building erected for his
deceased wife. Shah Jahan is said to have died in the Musamman
Burj, a tower with a beautiful marble balcony.
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